Traditional British Sail - Books Wanted

[Paul Pless]

I proudly have a rather large collection of books that covers much of the history and design of a large variety of American sailboats from around 1800 to present. Unfortunately I have very few resources devoted to the traditional boats, both working craft and yachts, of the United Kingdom.

I'd like some recommendations of titles and authors that I should be looking for, for information on such boats as Falmouth Quay Punts, British Channel Cutters, the various British Pilots, etc, etc.

Thanks,
Paul

I see myself going on a big book buying binge...:)

[Thorne]

John Leather's "Sprit and Lugsails" (or is it Lug and Spril sails?) covers a lot of the various boats you named above, plus cobbles and many more. Very nice read!

[Stephen]

To learn more about British working sail I recommend the following:

Leather's "Gaff Rig" is a must - for American or British sailing craft

Robert Simper's "Gaff Sail" runs through a variety of craft with short accounts of sailing of some vessels

Edgar March's "Inshore Craft of Great Britain" - I believe has just been re-released as a 2 volume work

For Bristol Channel pilot cutters look to Peter Stuckey's "Sailing Pilots of the Bristol Channel"
Let me know if you are interested in the Bristol Channel pilot boats and I can give you a list more specific to them.

Chatterton's "Fore and Aft"
Eric McKee's "Working Boats of Britain"
Robert Simper's "Sail - The Surviving Tradition"
Luard's "Where the Tides Meet" for stories of racing workboats to early fastnet exploits.

That should keep you busy for a while.... and will certainly drain your wallet of funds :)

[StevenBauer]

There have been some great articles in Maritime Life And Traditions Magazine along these lines. If you can't find a complete set you could order some key back issues. Ditto with ClassicBoat mag.

Steven

[Paul Pless]

thankyou all and yes I see asignificant wallet draing event comeing up in the next few days:eek: :)

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

More Edgar March - "Sailing Trawlers" and "Sailing Drifters" - two very well researched books on the big sailing fishing boats.

When it comes to sailing barges, here is a bibliography on the Web:

http://www.thamesbarge.org.uk/barges/biblio_print.htm

Start with Carr and Benham.

And here is a bibliography of the merchant schooners of the West Country:

http://www.mightyseas.co.uk/marhist/misc/bibliography.htm

Start with Greenhill.

Now, when we come to my own favourites, the Cochester smacks, I cannot turn up a bibliography, but here is a website that I recommend anyway:

http://www.alberta-ck318.freeserve.co.uk/

and look for a copy of Hervey Benham's "The Stowboaters" and a copy of "The Codbangers"

Good hunting.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

There is a Richard England book titled "Schoonerman" - which details the end of coastwise trading under sail, a thing that ended in the mid fifties.

It is very very well written.